A Tale of Cinnorare Island 2
by Mewtwo
Summary: More AAMR and violence than the first one. To summarize: Ash and friends meet up with an old friend and some weird new monsters get in their way. They also meet new friends that I created.


A Tale of Cinnorare Island   
Part 2   


Author's Notes:   
Don't we all know the infamous Mewtwo. Translated Pokémon words, don't read this until you've read the first Cinnorare Island, and a few other notes. 

First things first. Don't get me wrong on this, I've always liked Richie (sort of). He's in here, but you have to find out how. Also, remember the spoiler at the end of Part 1 from Reno. A bit of that is changed, take off the first sentence of "Reno's life was flashing before his eyes." I took that out, it didn't fit the story. And Desi? Well, I guess I was taking my anger of losing a guy I liked out with her, so she's a little devilish. She's not exactly the character she seems as well - she's actually really purple-eyed and was probably angry enough to be devilish after Cyro was through with her. Hehe. Inside joke. 

NOTE: Even if you get depressed reading some parts of this, STAY WITH IT!!! I think you'll like it. The ending won't be depressing or anything like that, I swear you won't be disappointed with how the romance ends up in Chapter 3!! And near the end don't be disappointed with Misty. You'll find out. 

In the previous:   
Ash, Misty and Brock find themselves on an abandoned island, with a cave. They journey into the cave to find Team Rocket. A creature brings them to a horrid stop in their journey, but wake up unharmed. A band of Pokémon finds them and saves them, taking them to another island. But they must move quickly from the beach in order to keep the island newcomers alive. 

After that happens, they are taken to a Pokémon center and a nurse's house, where they spend the next few days playing games, staying up late, catching Pokémon, and chatting. But strange things happen, causing them to flee their place in the nurse's home. 

But searching for another island, they find that it has been mysteriously moved. One of the Pokémon had given another a gift, but that gift was something he was yet to find out. Finally, after searching for such a long time, they find the island, and find that what they had come for was already done, just through their devotion to each other, teamwork, love and friendship, the greatest gift ever. 

In Part 2:   
And yet, through all of this, readers may have forgotten that Ash and friends have not yet found home. And they get someone new to take on the trip (surprise for you). The band of Pokémon will help them as much as they can, but should one promise something he is not sure if he can do, deep trouble may follow the whole group. And we all know Misty likes Ash . . . or do we? But when a friend indeed becomes a friend in need, and those who need to help are frightened by the only signal to them, how can they save him? 

Chapter 1   
Lose 'em and Love 'em 

The sun was setting over the clear blue seawater, adding silver, purple, orange and gold streaks to the ocean. Unidentified dolphin-like Pokémon leaped in and out of the water, graceful as ever. The young couple sitting up in the mountain's lush greenery were observing all of this in perfect peace. Below them, Reno and his friends, along with Brock and Andrea and Team Rocket, were celebrating the loss of Azon. 

Ash could overhear just a few things Reno was telling the others. He picked a few words out here and there, about how grateful they were to lose Azon, how they would celebrate, and other things. 

He whispered something in Misty's ear. She suddenly took her peaceful expression off her face, and a stressed one replaced it. 

"How do we deal with that?" she asked anxiously. 

"I think Reno will help us," Ash sighed. 

Misty happened to glance down below her to see Reno fiddling with Ash's Pokédex, which had apparently dropped. Suddenly it began to go haywire, and Reno tossed it up to them. Ash grabbed it in the air, but immediately dropped it next to him. It had shocked him with electricity. But as he took another look at the screen as it settled, he saw a picture of him and Misty kissing from the game of Truth or Dare earlier. He sighed. 

"What's wrong with it?" Misty asked, just as Ash closed it. 

"Nothing. Just got a new picture installed." 

"Ooh! Let me see." 

"No!" 

Misty looked at Ash with a hard look in her eye. "Let me see," she ordered. 

"Um . . . it's kinda . . . disturbing." Ash looked at it again, turning so Misty could not see it. Then he quickly shut the Pokédex. 

Misty almost shouted this time. "C'mon! Let me see the picture!" Ash quickly pushed it into his pocket, but Misty reached for it and nearly grabbed it. 

"It's too . . . intense for you!" Ash replied. 

Misty caught him off guard and snatched it from his pocket a few minutes later. "Hey!" he cried. "Give that back!" 

But Misty had already looked at the picture, and was staring at it wide eyed. "Who got that on film?" she muttered. 

"I don't know, but if I find out whoever did will eat my fist," Ash mumbled, realizing that he had enjoyed it so much by looking at the photograph. He had just been so tranced and shy at kissing her he hadn't noticed at the time he was pulling her close. 

"No kidding," Misty breathed, but a smile was breaking on her face, and she shut it closed and handed it to him. He put it into his pocket as she leaped up and pulled him underneath a bush into a hidden place in the vegetation. 

Reno had climbed up onto the place they had been, and arrived just after Misty had yanked Ash underneath. He hadn't seen what she had done, and was surprised they weren't there. 

"Where the hell are they?" he asked himself, scratching his head. "And how did they disappear like that?" 

He didn't hear what was happening in the vegetation. Instead, he just jumped into the gentle waterfall series flowing about 5 feet below Ash and Misty's old perch. 

Misty had pulled Ash into an area that had looked so small, but inside he realized the entirety of the place. Ash decided to investigate the area. "I wonder if lots of Pokémon live here," he said in awe as he saw the huge cave. 

Misty frowned. "I doubt it. I sure don't see any." 

Ash turned and looked at her. "Yeah, sure," he laughed. "Since when will a wild Pokémon will just appear in front of you?" 

"Uh...never, if I remember correctly." 

"Exactly." 

Meanwhile, back on the beach, everybody was frantic of the loss of Ash and Misty. Everyone except Shelly, who decided making jokes was better. 

"I bet they just hid so they could make out," she laughed. "I can picture it now: Ash and Misty, porno professionals!" 

Reno rolled his eyes, stared over at her, and muttered, "Shelly, Ash and Misty probably wouldn't make out for . . . um . . . well." He thought for a moment. "Actually, I bet they would. After that little encounter with my picture!" 

"What'd you do?" Charcoal asked, chuckling. 

"Mew took a picture of Ash and Misty kissing. I stole Ash's Pokédex for a little while . . ." he had to pause so he could laugh, "and installed it on there!" 

"You are so mean," Charcoal cried, but he was laughing so hard he had fiery tears spilling out of his eyes. 

"I knew they would enjoy it," Mew giggled, pulling something in her paw. Reno grabbed it. 

The laughing increased as everybody stared at it. It was the picture—zoomed in and focusing on the close embrace between Ash and Misty. 

"I bet Ash had a hoot," Reno laughed, wiping tears away with his paw. "Heh. . . he looks pretty shy and tranced there. I bet once he saw it he realized just how much he ENJOYED it. . . heh heh!" 

"He WAS tranced," Jessie sighed. "That little twerp was always squabbling over Misty. It makes so much sense. So romantic." 

"Romantic?" Charcoal asked. "The only thing romantic about that picture is the fact that it IS kissing. It's much FUNNIER to IMAGINE them kissing, rather SEEING it is even MORE funny. Augh, I don't know what I'm saying." 

"I know," Reno said sweetly, "it's because you NEVER know what you're saying." 

"Hey!" Charcoal snapped. 

"They're awfully young, don'tcha think?" Mew sighed. "Only 10 and 12." 

"Well, serves 'em right." Reno crossed his arms. "If they wanted to play this game, it only goes to sense they would've been dared to kiss." 

"Yeah, they've been playing a pretty tough game all right—the game of love," Mew added. 

"I wasn't talking about that game." 

"Oh." 

Mew, thoroughly embarrassed, dug her face into her hands, blushing hotter than a red tomato. 

"You look like Ash and Misty did after they kissed," Reno joked. 

Mew had a question mark above her head. "What!?" 

Reno sweatdropped. "You're blushing. . . tomatoes . . . red face . . . embarrassment. . ." 

"Etc. . ." Mew finished. 

Reno wore a goofy grin. "Y-Yeah! That's it!" 

Suddenly a recognizable voice filled the air. 

"Reeeeeeeeeennnnooooooo. . ." came an echo, piercing the air. 

"Ash?" Reno shouted. The voice sounded like it had done some bouncing. 

"RRRRaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnneeeeeeeeerrrr...." came another unmistakable echoed voice. 

"Misty?" Rainer yelled. 

Two extremely large shadows pushed onto the ground. 

"Ash? Misty?" Shelly cried, putting a hand to shade her eyes of the sun. 

But was it them? The echoes seemed to keep bouncing. 

"Where are you?" came another echo. 

"Please, please, where are you?" the echoes screamed. 

Sunset from over the mountain made the two shadows cast even larger as the sun's angle turned even more. 

"Is that you, Ash? Misty?" Reno shouted. 

The shadows moved. It was them, or. . . 

Two pairs of red eyes glowed from the shadowy figures. 

Sweatdropping, the two Pokémon looked at each other with uneasy grins on their faces, spouting a similar, "Eh- heh heh heh. . ." and running off quickly. 

Brock shaded his eyes(if you could call it that). "Ash?! What's wrong with you?" 

Suddenly the voice we know all too well sprouted from over the mountain. Another shadowy figure with bright brown eyes leaped out of the bushes. 

"Bulbasaur! Go, take down those clones with one grasp!" 

"Starmie! Slice those clones open with freezing cold blades of water!" 

The red light of a Poké Ball flashed as two Poké Balls opened and released their Pokémon. Standing side by side, on the top of the mountain, with the sun at the perfect angle for a victory pose, Ash and Misty were there, giving peace signs. 

The two lookalikes to Ash and Misty turned, their eyes glowing a blood red. 

A voice crusaded its way through the air. It sounded evil and robotic almost. "I will follow my master. Die." A flash of black light blasted out of the Ash clone's finger. Ash jumped out of the way. 

"Pikachu, Bulbasaur, throw them away with your teamed attacks I taught you! TEAM DAGGER!!" 

The two Pokémon's eyes began to glow white as the bulb on the dinosaur Pokémon's back glowed with the same light. Pikachu had a soft light of electricity around him. The two forces of the Pokémon reached in the air and combined. A loud sound like the sound of two swords bashing together pierced the air as the force of electricity and grass bound together and started charging. The energy started to flash rainbow colors and shaped itself into a dagger in a split second, and slashed the two clones to bits. 

Suddenly another blaze threw itself into vision as two rivers of water slashed through the air. Then, encasing what was left of the clones in a hard enclosure of ice, the ice shattered, leaving nothing of those clones. 

Ash and Misty stood triumphantly on the mountain. 

A silence followed for another 5 minutes before Brock broke it. 

"Now THOSE are attacks." 

Ash and Misty's voices came together. "We are incredible, ain't we?" 

Ash started leaping down. "I worked really hard, in secret, to teach Bulbasaur and Pikachu to do that. But I couldn't let anyone know how I did it. Boy, if Richie saw how well I was doing in my training now, he'd be sorry he ever beat me! I'm sure I'm way better than him!" 

"I wouldn't count on that, Ketchum." 

"Misty? Was that you? I always said you sounded like a guy. . ." Ash started. 

But Misty, shaking her head, was a little too convincing. "Ash, that wasn't me!" 

"That was me." The voice droned over the mountain. 

"RICHIE?!" Ash shouted. 

A head popped over the mountain. "You think you're better than me? Ash, you don't know anything about me! Zippo! Sparky! Team Attack!" 

The Charmander and Pikachu used their fire and thunder, but Ash quickly ordered for another Team Dagger. 

In a split second, Richie's Pokémon were fainted. 

"Looks like Richie was taken from the winner's circle to the loser list," Ash chuckled. 

"Hey, I beat you in the Pokémon league," Richie shouted angrily. 

"Guess what?" Ash said mockingly. "I know that already." 

"Just making sure..." Richie growled. 

"Boy, you've changed," Ash sighed, looking Richie up and down. Richie had changed—attitude and looks. 

He was wearing a black short sleeved shirt tucked in at a pair of light blue jeans. Over his shirt was a blue coat, also with short sleeves. He almost looked like Ash, except he still had brown hair, and was no longer wearing his hat, and he had done something a bit different with his hair. 

Misty's heart caught in her throat for a second, convincing herself a few things. I still like Ash, I still like Ash, I still like Ash, she thought repeatedly. 

"Yeah," Richie said, lifting up his gloved hand. "But I guess since we were friends, we can still be friends. . ." 

Ash looked down at his hand, then smiled and laughed. He shook it. 

Misty took another glance over at Richie. Man, he's cute now, she thought. "H-How'd you get over here, Richie?" she asked. 

"Here? On this island? A hurricane," Richie said, shaking his head. "A bad one." 

"Us too," Ash sighed. "How'll we ever find our way offa here?" 

Reno's eyes lit up. "I'll get you off, I promise!" he said. "C'mon, let's go back to Cinnorare!" 

"Cinnorare?" Richie asked. 

"It's an island around here. Great place," Ash said, putting a smile on his face as he thought back to it. "Great place for some R&R, fun, anything really." 

I still like Ash, I still like Ash, I still like Ash, Misty thought, trying to repress an urge to gawk at Richie. 

Brock, looking at Misty, elbowed her. "Is it just me, or do I sense a secret immediate crush?" he whispered. 

Misty shook her head. "No. . . I'm not a traitor. . ." 

"Traitor to who?" Brock asked. 

"No one." 

"I still think you're suddenly in love with Richie or something," he said with a smile, walking off. 

Misty scowled at him. That twerp. 

Jessie and James noticed Misty, also. "Hey, little girl," Jessie said. 

"What?" Misty asked. 

"You like that weird guy, huh?" 

"N-Noooo. . ." Misty said, still having a thought train of I still like Ash, I still like Ash. . . 

"Then why are you gawking at him?" Jessie remarked matter-of-factly. 

Misty had been so caught up answering questions she hadn't noticed she was staring at him with a little bit more hint of gawkery (is that a word? Well, it is now. ^_~) than she had hoped for. Her mouth hung open as her eyes, focused on Richie, were almost crossed. 

She shook her head and turned away from him. "I'm not gawking at him!" 

James laughed. "Last minute return, Jessie! I think what we said on the blimp was wrong!" 

Ash, happening to overhear, shouted, "Yeah, because Brock's here!" (It would be a little hard to just make him disappear, wouldn't it? And you must remember: Ash and Misty still won't admit that they like [or liked in Misty's case] each other in public.) 

"No, no, Ash," Jessie said, giggling, "I think that Misty doesn't like you! I think she likes that other twerp!" 

Richie gasped. "You called me a twerp!?" 

"Leave Richie alone!" Ash demanded. 

Richie started thinking about what Jessie had said. Misty like HIM? What about Ash? He looked over at her . . . 

. . . and saw a very cute girl with carrot red hair, done weird but cute, a yellow sleeveless shirt and straps connected to denim shorts, and bright blue eyes. Misty. (OK, OK, confession, I'm a girl so I don't write these detailed things that are Ace-type works. So sue me! And I happen to think Misty is one of the ugliest, stupidest creatures to roam the planet, no offense Misty fans, but I still pair her and Ash up for some odd reason. I also change her personality. ^_^) 

He lost all his emotional control and gawked like her. 

Misty noticed Richie. 

Richie noticed Misty. 

They blushed and turned away from each other. 

Ash fell anime style to the ground. 

Chapter 2   
Misty and Richie, sittin' in a tree. . . Don't Look Now, Cuz it's ASHY! 

**CINNORARE ISLAND** 

Ash sat on the front steps of Andrea's house, lost in thought. What's wrong with her? Does she like RICHIE now? Man, and we were so close, too. . . 

His thoughts were interrupted by Brock. "Ash, you look blue. What's wrong?" 

"Actually, to me, only his coat and jeans look blue," Pikachu said, getting a fist in the face from Brock for. 

"Nothing," Ash said. 

"Uh . . ." Brock said, looking at him. "Something's wrong." He paused. "It is . . . Misty and Richie." 

Ash looked up at him and scowled. "Telepath." 

"No, I can tell. You were fine before, and now that they've been flirting with each other, you've never smiled." 

"But . . ." 

Ash and Brock were immediately silenced by a sound. Ash held a finger to his lips for silence. 

"Why Richie, I'd LOVE to!" Misty's voice. 

Ash's face fell even lower. 

"I was right," Brock sighed. 

***   
On the front steps of the Pokémon center, Richie was sitting by Misty. He was wearing his normal outfit, except no hat, with his hair still the "cute" way (in Misty's opinion. I've drawn a picture of him, and I think other girls would think that my new Richie's cute too. ^_~) 

Misty had a huge smile on her face as she looked at Richie. He had just asked her for a night out on the beach. She had agreed hastily. If there was anything she would enjoy, it would be knocking the remembrance of Ash out of her mind for now—it was Richie she liked. His attitude towards Pokémon. . . his cute looks. . . his care for all living things . . . they made up Richie! 

Ash, on the other hand, was getting those vein bulges on his head. Angry as ever, he stormed up the stairs. 

Misty couldn't help but notice, and she almost felt sorry for him—almost. 

"What's wrong?" Richie asked, noticing the concern on Misty's face for a moment. "Not him, right?" 

"Oh, nothing, just wondering why Ash is so angry," Misty said with a stretch and a yawn. 

A Poké Ball fell out of the window and landed on Misty's head. A note popped out of it. 

Misty picked it up to read: 

"Roses are red,   
A deep crimson hue,   
When you just saw Richie,   
You sure were too. 

"And earlier on,   
when I looked at your face,   
I knew that deep inside my heart   
you had your place. 

"Sure, you probably   
hate me for this.   
But I'm not in any place   
to ruin your bliss. 

"So go on ahead,   
Love Rich to the core.   
I'm gettin' used to it now—   
you were always a bore. 

"Love, Ash Ketchum" 

Now it was Misty's turn to get the vein bulges. She looked up angrily and scowled, rubbing the bump on her head, to Ash, who was staring into the sky upward, ignoring her, whistling casually as though nothing had happened. 

Richie looked up too, to be answered to another Poké Ball in the face. Another note came out. 

It read: 

"The wonderful poet   
I am seeming to be   
Will all be destroyed   
when you try to kill me.   
For reading this poem   
shall strike you a pose   
Where your face is bulging,   
Your eyes red like a rose." 

Richie stopped reading long enough to stare up and wonder for a few moments what Ash could mean by that. 

He continued: 

"And when you're done with this letter,   
shove it right up your nose. 

"Now the feature is here,   
Enjoy it, the piece   
This work is for you--   
Your good side, at least.   
For my dear Richie,   
perhaps this you don't know   
But deep down inside, Misty   
wants to be a FELLOW!! 

"From, Ash Ketchum" 

Richie and Misty exchanged glances. 

**SUNSET** 

Richie brushed the last bits of dust off his black T-shirt (Don't ask me where that came from for a night on the beach) and patiently awaited Misty. To his surprise, and relief, she didn't come dressed up either. They laughed, seeing that neither was really prepared for anything special, and joined hands as they ran toward the beach. 

Meanwhile, in Ash's room, Ash was sitting by a window looking at the beach of the west coast. But he wasn't really paying attention to the scenery. He was thinking. 

Why was it that Richie had to butt in on everything of his? First it was his Pokémon knowledge. Then it was knocking him down and humiliating him by always seeing Richie better than him. And worst it had been when Richie beat him in the Pokémon league. He had used his most cheerful expression he could then, but in his heart he was angry and sad. Now Richie was intruding his love life (if you can call it that) and making his life miserable. Don't you know when to butt out? he thought, looking at Richie running with Misty toward the curve. They were going to the north beach. 

"Pikachu!" 

Ash turned around. "Oh, hi, Pikachu." 

"'Sup Ash?" Pikachu asked as he leaped into Ash's arms. 

"I got a lot on my mind," Ash sighed. 

"Let me guess: something to do with Misty running around drooling over Richie?" Pikachu replied. 

"You win," Ash muttered. "It's just so unbelievable. How could they do that to me? Richie doesn't know when to get out." 

"And when he's been a good friend of yours, it doesn't help seeing him run off with your would-be girlfriend," Pikachu finished for him. 

Ash searched for some words. "A-A-I-Eh-Uh-He-G-Re-Uh—you took the words right outta my mouth." 

Pikachu, shaking his head, mumbled, "That Pokémon league victory was cheated. A sleeping Pokémon isn't fainted or anything. They can still fight, just Charizard wasn't doing it willingly. And whatever happened to good old fashioned switching Pokémon to one that wasn't fainted? I was fine." 

"If I could say them," Ash crowed with hatred in his voice, "I'd give Richie a select few words." 

He leaned over. "My eyes are burning. . . my fingers are tingling . . . my mind is throbbing . . . I feel so light-headed . . ." He passed out. 

The cries of Pikachu echoed all over the island for the next 5 minutes. 

*** 

Misty yawned. "What'd they drag us out here for?" she asked Richie tiredly. It was the middle of the night. 

"Misty, do you have any idea how hard Ash took this?" 

Misty looked up to see Brock. The expression on his face meant no-nonsense-shut-up-and-listen-or-you'll-regret-it. She shook her head. 

"Then c'mon over here and take a look." She followed Brock into the room where Ash had been sleeping. He had just awoken, and his eyes focused to see Misty and Brock standing over him. 

"My head. . ." he mumbled, and his eyes crossed as they focused. Anger crossed them the second he saw Misty and he turned to the side, narrowing his eyes. He hated her now . . . or did he? 

"Ash?" Brock asked. 

"What?" Ash asked with annoyance in his voice. 

"Exactly how hard is this for you?" 

"Basically can't be explained except I fainted just thinking about everything that's happened. Richie doesn't know to quit while he's ahead. . . he'll regret it . . ." 

"Ash! Don't talk like that!" Misty's voice pierced Ash's ears. 

"Shut up, Misty, before I have to hurt you." 

"Ash," Brock muttered. 

"Ash," Pikachu sighed. "You're really taking this seriously." 

"What am I supposed to do?" Ash mumbled. 

"You could leave me and Richie be, Ash Ketchum," Misty almost shouted. 

Ash sat up, despite the aching pains in his body. "Maybe if emotional problems could cause you this much trouble, you would think like me!" 

"Shut up, all of you!!" 

"Reno?" Ash asked, rubbing his head. 

The Raichu bowed. "Right. Like I was saying, you're all playing the toughest game of all. The game of love--" 

"No, I said that they were playing the game of love, cheater. That's my humble thought." Mew crossed her arms after the comment. "You said they were playing truth or dare." 

"Yeah, whatever. But anyway, get used to it—heartbreak comes after love." 

"Or in Misty and Richie's case, a baby," Ash muttered quietly. 

"Huh?" Misty asked, apparently not hearing clearly. 

"Ash," Pikachu retorted. 

"Well, anyway, Ash, good luck, go for another girl." Reno walked out, and Shelly, Rainer, Mew, and Charcoal followed. 

Ash closed his eyes. "Hmnph. Just leave me alone." 

"Gladly." 

"Goodness, Ash," Richie said, "you get out of the wrong side of the bed this morning?" 

"Sure did," Ash joked. "And I got the bump to prove it." 

Richie pretended to cough. "HACK WHEEZE COUGH COUGH *lame joke* HACK COUGH COUGH WHEEZE!!" 

"Thanks." 

***   
**ABOUT 3 AM**   
Richie lay in bed, thinking. What was wrong with Ash? Was it the good night kiss he gave Misty? Or what? 

Or what, he thought. 

A knock. 

"Come in," he called. 

The door creaked as it opened. Who could that be? 

"Richie," a scratchy voice hoarsely said. 

"Ash?" 

"You've forgotten everything, haven't you?" 

"Huh?" 

"The game, the battles, the fun . . ." 

"What are you talking about?" 

"Why didn't you help him while you had the chance?" 

"Who are you?" 

"You." 

Richie sat up immediately. Though he could hear the voice, he saw no one standing there. But he saw Ash pass by the door moments later, and a faint light by the door downstairs. He would've been suspicious, but was too lost in thought and confused. "Ash, what was that for?" 

"Huh?" Ash asked. 

"Why were you saying those things to me?" 

"What things?" 

"You know what I'm talking about." 

"No, I don't! What were you talking about?" 

"Why did you say those to me?" 

"I'm telling you the truth, Richie! I wasn't saying anything to you!" Ash really sounded convincing. He really couldn't have been saying those things, Richie noticed. 

"Then . . . who did?" 

Ash shrugged. "Things are getting weirder since you came, Richie. . ." The anger in his voice was unmistakable. What Richie didn't notice was that Ash had Pikachu on his shoulder, with his backpack all packed up. In his room, the bed was all made up. Ash was mostly feeling better physically—but emotionally, he was dead. 

Quietly, to himself, Ash mumbled, "Take care of yourselves. . ." and snuck out the door. 

Reno's keen sense of hearing noticed. He wasn't asleep, and popped one eye open to catch Ash leave. He decided to wake his friends and go after him. 

**NEXT MORNING** 

"What do you mean, you can't find Ash, Pikachu, or Reno and his friends?!" 

"I'm telling you, Misty, they're not here!" Andrea said. "Nothing left of them is here either!" 

Misty stormed to Ash's room. But to her surprise, everything was gone. Pikachu's bed, Ash's backpack and other belongings, and the bed was made. She looked around and saw a note on the desk with a $100 bill attached. 

"Dear Misty," it said, "Guess you're content with Richie. I knew it wasn't the bike why you followed me around. Here, this money's for a bike now though—because now that you like Richie, you won't be following me for what you used to. Take care of yourself. 

"Bye.   
Ash Ketchum" 

Misty gasped. 

**EARLIER THAT MORNING, A BIT PAST 3 AM** 

Ash was running as fast as he could with Pikachu running by his side, trying as hard as he could to hold back tears. "She and Brock have been with me for over a year," he coughed. "But . . ." 

"Ash, what are you doing?" Pikachu asked. "You're abandoning them who need you!" 

"Nobody needs me," Ash choked. 

"I need you!" Pikachu cried. "If you weren't here with me all the time, I'd probably be with someone who didn't care as much as you do about me. You even let me stay out of my Poké Ball! You understand my words! How much more can I need you?" 

Ash was too tired to run any further as they reached the beach. "If you needed me any more, Pikachu . . ." Ash sighed, breathing heavily, "You'd already be in the wild." 

*** 

"Misty, what's wrong with you. He's gone! You can't do anything about it. Why can't you get over it?" Andrea asked the sobbing girl sitting next to Richie. 

"Because he's our friend!" both Misty and Richie barked. 

"After all that he did to you, I'm surprised," Andrea said with a sigh. 

Richie closed his eyes. "But after all he did to me. . ." A tear fell from his eye. 

Misty picked up Togepi. "Why? Why?" she asked the little egg. "Do I still like him? Aahhh!!" 

"I thought Mommy always loved Daddy!" Togepi said to Psyduck. 

Misty gakked and swatted Togepi in the face. "Mommy loves Richie. Not the daddy you know, Togepi." 

In her mind, Misty heard words repeating themselves. "Hey Misty, your hair's not purple!" She remembered how when Ash came back he thought of her. 

Richie's blue eyes had a glint of sadness in them. Was it. . . his fault? But what had those words last night meant? 

He stood up suddenly. "I've got to find the answers to that question. Maybe that was me." 

"Huh?" Misty asked, tears still falling freely from her eyes. 

"WHERE ARE RENO AND THE GANG?!" Andrea suddenly shouted. "I can't take it anymore!!" 

"Are you looking for Ash?" 

"Huh? Reno?" 

"He's split. Gonzo." 

"What do you mean?" Andrea asked. 

"Put it short and simple now: Misty, if you like your precious Richie, forget about him." 

"Wha . . .?" Misty trailed off. 

"He saw me and told me to tell you some things. It takes a second to crush someone, a minute to like someone, and a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone. Someone like you."   
(--Quoted from Poké_Gal~) 

"I really can't stand this!" Misty finally screamed. "I'm going to find Ash!" 

"Hope ya have a good water Pokémon," Mew sighed, rolling her eyes. 

"I'm a water Pokémon trainer," Misty replied. "Where did he go?" 

"At about four this morning, he was 4 miles off the west coast of the beach." 

"And that means . . . within one hour, he had already gotten 4 miles off this beach?!" Richie shouted. 

"Apparently so." 

Misty ran to the west coast. "Starmie!" 

Richie arrived moments later. "Blue!" 

"Blue?" Misty asked. 

"My Marril," Richie replied. The Pokémon appeared in front of him. 

"Let's go on Starmie!" Misty ordered. "But what will Marri-I mean, Blue-do for us?" 

"Marril's sense of smell is incredible," Richie remarked. "Marril, sniff out Ash!" 

Marril nodded. "Sure thing, Richie!" He looked at Starmie. "Now I'll tell you directions." 

Soon they were moving very fast along the water. Something lurked underneath. . . 

Chapter 3   
Danger at Sea 

Darkness. Silence. 

"The time has come." 

A pair of red eyes. 

"Come now. It is time." 

"Time for what? Who am I? Who are you?" 

"Awaken. You are a Tidal Mewtwo." 

"What does that mean?" 

"You shall be united with the power of destruction that the original Mewtwo used. . . go on, he's near. . ." 

*** 

Tears fell onto the dirt. Ash collapsed onto the ground. He had been at this island for hours. 

"Aaaaaaaasssssshhhhh. . ." yelled a voice from afar. 

He would know it for the world. Had to be Misty. 

"Whhheeeerrreee aaaarrrrreeee yyyoooooooouuuuu?" 

Richie. 

He picked up Pikachu and ran into a cave. Ice clung to the walls. Ash shivered. Why was this happening to him? 

Footsteps echoed into the cave from outside. "Check in there!" Misty's voice hissed. 

"Careful, this cave is made up completely of ice!" Richie's voice said. 

"What is this place?" 

"This is Cinnobat Island. It's known around Cinnabar Island, yet never discovered, for the herds of Golbat that flock here for the ice." That had to be Rainer, in his know-it-all tone. 

"Here, take this jacket, Misty. I'll go in first." 

Ash knew he couldn't hide much longer. Charcoal's flame found him in an instant. 

"What was that for, Ash?" Misty asked. "You had us all worried!" 

"Wonderful intro," Ash muttered mockingly. 

"I was so scared that you . . . that . . . I . . ." Misty said sympathetically, closing her eyes as tears clung to them, ". . . that I would never see you again . . ." 

Ash snorted. "Sure. The only one you've been SEEING is Richie," he scoffed, looking away angrily. 

Misty was too sorry for making him attack her like this that she didn't get mad at him. "We were just too afraid to tell each other that we liked each other," she sighed. 

"Who said I ever liked you, you uncute maniac?!" Ash shouted. "You're ugly, and you're just like Richie! You two are meant for each other! You're both suckups!!" 

"What?!" Misty shouted. "I just think Richie's cute and all, but that does it." She pulled out and didn't hesitate to use her trusty mallet from her pocket. She realized what she had done and blushed. 

Then and there, she realized it—she still liked Ash. 

She looked at Richie, gave him a "hold on, I'll get back to you" signal with her hands, walked to Ash, made sure everyone was looking, and kissed him right on the mouth. 

Ash looked as stunned as Richie, eyes wide open in shock. But Misty's eyes were closed—and Ash's were soon, too. 

After about 20 seconds, Misty parted from him. "How do you feel now, Ashy?" she asked, smiling. 

Ash remained speechless, but his cheeks gave the answer, as he was blushing hotter than a red tomato. Reno chuckled. 

"Nothing keeps him from Misty, much less Richie." Richie scowled at looked at Reno. Reno laughed. "Oh, sorry Richie. I guess you're kinda hurt by that, huh?" Richie's head did a response of a quick turn. But a warm smile replaced his look of evilness toward Ash. 

"Nah, not really. I'm over it already. Oh well, I'd only known Misty for what, 3 days? Ash's known her for a year already. What do I think I was doing with her?" 

"Kissing her, maybe?" Ash said. 

Misty blushed, looking away. "I don't remember that. . ." 

Richie did the same, but replied, "I don't see what harm a peck can do. . ." 

"But anyway. . ." Ash sighed, "Reno, how are we gonna get home?" 

"Leave that to me, Ash. I promise I'll get you home, but I've got some patrolling to do! Now, all of you go back to Cinnorare and be good while I'm gone..." 

*** 

A loud hiss pierced his ears. What could that be? he thought. He twitched his little ears as he looked around for a trace of other life. Nothing. But wait. . . what was that? Two yellow eyes? Or were they a light blue? Or a light red? They were changing fast. 

"Is anybody here?" he asked. 

"Are you the one they were talking about?" a strange voice filled the corridor in question. 

"Who are you? What are you talking about?" 

"Who I am does not matter right now. But who are you?" 

"I'm Reno of the Tidal Turret Gang. . ." 

"Tidal Raichu Reno it is then! Exactly who I was looking for . . . heh heh heh. . . if you want to live, come with me. . ." 

"Who are you?!" 

"Tidal Turret Gang, you know that you are not the only tidal Pokémon from the Cin Islands, right?" 

"Sure do. . ." 

"I am the Tidal Mewtwo, Desiree. . ." 

*** 

"Hmmm, where could Reno be?" Ash sighed as he walked along the trail to the Pokémon center. "It's been over 2 hours!" 

"He said he had some things to do," Misty replied, "maybe they're taking longer than he expected." 

"I doubt he would even take this long," Richie remarked, and Brock nodded. 

Misty shook her head and sighed. "Boy, I wonder what could've happened to him?" 

*** 

Reno could taste blood. He could feel it as he opened his eyes. Nothing was familiar. He couldn't remember anything. He started to weakly roll over. He was in a dark place, in a very shallow pool of. . . water or blood, he couldn't tell. 

"The treatment to a lie could be very easily death for you. . ." 

"Pry your easy way into my freaking mind, why don'tcha?" Reno hissed. 

"How do you like the water? I was hoping it would soothe your wounds. You probably have enough of them. . . heh heh. . ." 

"Well, at least I know I'm not bathing in my own blood." 

"Heh, I think that soon enough you will. . ." 

"Wha-What? You're. . . I remember everything now. . . Tidal Mewtwo Desiree?" 

"Look at yourself." With that word, a firework seemed to explode from Desiree's finger. Immediately a reflecting pool was in front of Reno, and the lights were all in such an angle so he could see himself perfectly. His blue fur matted itself all over. Slashes and burns made him look like a walking rag doll of blood. 

"What have you done to me? And why?" Reno stammered, using a red, sticky paw to wipe his face. 

"Liars will not be forgiven from Desi's paw of death!" With that, she sent another firework to knock Reno's eyes closed. He snapped a static bolt. Immediately, he fired a hard thunderbolt onto Desi. 

Desi screamed. "Share not your pity on me, that blood belongs to you!" Her usual blue eyes flashed red again. The look on her face was something that scared Reno at a glance, but he wouldn't show it. Hatred stung her face like nothing else. "I will not let you beat me!" 

The cries of the Tidal Mewtwo echoed all over as light exploded out of her, shocking Reno. Finally he pulled himself away, and he looked at her destroying face. "I promised I would get them home . . . but now I'm unsure if I'll even save myself . . ." 

*** 

More than a day had passed since Reno had disappeared. 

"I could've sworn I heard the loudest cry of that monster. . ." Misty choked. The tears flying out of her eyes devastated Ash. For a half hour now, Misty had been claiming to be hearing the cries of a terrible monster and also the cries of their friend Reno, though none of the others had . . . 

"Are you sure?" Ash asked. He couldn't bear to see her like that. She barely let him get near her, like he was dangerous to her existence or something. "What is wrong, Misty? We can't hear anything. . ." 

"I'm positive," Misty breathed, "it was just so horrible. . . I heard him crying for help. . . and then the angry cries of someone or something else, and then Reno screamed. . ." 

Ash wiped a tear from her eye and looked straight into her teal blue eyes. His brown gaze was sympathetic, but Misty snapped her eyes shut. 

"Misty. . ." Ash mumbled, reacting in the only way he knew how. 

"I don't understand it," Brock sighed. "She was fine a while ago, and now she's gone berserk!" 

CCCRRRRAAAAACCCKKKK!! went the sky as it blackened and a streak of ice blue lightning slashed through the air. 

"Not good," Ash remarked, as rain started falling. 

"We can hope this storm won't be goin' on too long. . ." Charcoal squeaked, curling up to protect the blue fire on his tail. 

* * * 

Hoarse laughter echoed throughout the dark cave. A faint, still blue light glowed around 2 figures. One lay on the ground, still, lifeless, unmoving, while the other stood, laughing horrendously and letting her eyes glow the same blue but brighter. Desi and Reno, side by side. One awake, and one sleeping. But Misty's mind raced in unison with Desi's—would that sleeper ever wake? 

Slowly the glow in Desi's eyes faded. But the infinite blue iris of the evil Mewtwo's eyes was unmistakable, visible for distances around. The devilish creature could easily be mistaken for caring for one just staring into her kind, soft looking eyes. But the everlasting stare was not a stare of care—more of death or anger. 

Desi sensed some movement. 

She snapped her head downward to her prisoner. 

Reno's aqua green eyes stared back at her. 

"Fool!" she cried. "Die the death of the Tidals that never were!" 

Reno's eyes became bigger as he saw some psi energy flaming down to him, and then he snapped them shut. 

"Noooo! What has he done?!" 

Reno was pushed away, unexpecting being saved but rather killed. The voice that had yelled was a young voice of a boy, sounding about 10 years old. As Reno opened his eyes, he didn't see Desi but rather a young boy. 

The boy looked about 10, with brown hair, spiked, and dark, crystally, big blue eyes. They really were caring—unlike Desi's. He had a white T-shirt on with a blue vest much like Ash's coat, but the sleeves were the sleeves of his shirt. His vest had a collar, making him look almost like Ash with spiky hair and no hat. He had a pair of baggy carpenter's jeans, and a look of determination on his face that conveyed the message of "I'm winning this!" 

He snapped his gaze over to Reno. "You OK? We'll talk more later. I'm Kinsi, 'nough said, I'll keep you alive!" 

"Kins!" Desi shouted. "Are you betraying me?" 

"You betrayed me! I said to find Reno of the Tidal Turrets!" Kinsi shouted back. "Orders of Turik himself! He said to bring him prisoner!" 

"How could Turik say that?" Desi asked, quieting down, and the look of anger on her face turned more questioning. 

"Doesn't matter. Turik was using us! He's killed EVERYONE that wasn't out on errands not asked by him! I was telling you his orders to find Reno when he killed them, and then when I arrived, I saw him leave—and dead people all around." 

"I always knew he was a smurf." 

"??" 

"Y'know, a little blue man." 

Kinsi rolled his eyes. 

"Let me get this straight. . ." Reno coughed, "you two were working for some weird guy, but he was using you? So the only reason I was being killed was for your master? But you don't want to kill me anymore?" 

"No, Reno. You're free to live," Desi replied. "Y'know, you look like a smurf too." 

Reno Thundered her. "Why do you say that, you PIG?" 

"Well, you're little, y'got blue fur, you're a male, you fit the little blue man description PERFECTLY!" 

"I'd fit it," Kinsi said sarcastically. "My blue vest makes me completely blue, I assume!" 

"That wasn't funny," Desi muttered, looking over at him. 

"Who wants to hear a blonde joke?" Reno asked. 

"Why?" 

"The symbol on your belt's yellow, so I think that you're completely blonde!" Reno answered, cracking up. 

Kinsi and Desi looked at each other, then leaped on top of Reno and started beating him up. 

*** 

"Funny," Misty said wearily. "The cries stopped about 5 minutes ago." 

Ash smiled quickly. "Glad you're okay . . ." Then he rolled his eyes. "Wait, never mind." 

Brock chuckled. "Why didn't you two confess the items sooner?" 

Ash and Misty both stood up and ran to Brock and gave him a horrid evil eye, and he shut himself up. 

Richie yawned. "Wherever Reno is, I'm anxious to meet him in reality." He shoved his fingers through his brown hair and his blue eyes were half-closed in boredom, apparently horrificly annoyed at what he had earlier said was not going to bother him at all. 

"Richie, don't sweat it. Reno should be here in a snap." 

*** 

"Whoa, it's dark in here." 

"Shut up, Reno. We've gotta get outta here." 

"What's that?!" 

"What's what? I don't see anything." 

"Those two blue things glowing!' 

"Probably Desi's eyes." 

"But. . . they aren't shaped like hers. More like . . . yours, Kinsi!" 

"Wha...?! How could MY eyes be glowing?! I'm just a regular guy!" 

Desi's voice broke into their conversation. "No, Kinsi. . . you're NOT just a regular guy . . ." 

"Huh?" Kinsi asked, his eyes boring onto Desi as she sighed heavily. 

"Let me explain, Kinsi. You were too young to know this before, but . . ." 

*** 

Richie sighed. "Well, Mew, I don't know why, but Ash just seems to be stealing from me." 

Mew stared at him blankly. "How? What do you mean? Don't you think you seemed to be stealing from him? His wish to become Indigo League champion because of you? His would-be girlfriend to you? Well, I guess that was changed now, but..." She shrugged and sighed. 

Richie stared back. "I just don't know." 

*** 

"You are a Pokémon Ukana, which in the language of the ancient Ukanas means King. That glow to your eyes is the mark of the Ukanas. This means you have been descended from these Pokémon people. . . and the Ukanas were all partially Pokémon," Desi told Kinsi. His eyes widened with disbelief. 

"I was told about the Ukanas from my mother, on her deathbed . . ." he breathed, "and she mentioned something about them. . . about me. . . I didn't understand what she said! She told me 'Keep watch for the Pokémon Ukanas, for your life lies in them,' and then she died. Later, when I was older, my father also died and told me basically the same thing. Does this mean . . .?" 

"Your mother's eyes were green," Desi replied. 

"How did you know?" Kinsi asked. 

"Easily. The ways of a Pokémon Ukana eye colour all results from parents. Your mother was partially human, but also partially Bulbasaur. I have heard much about the last one. . . whose parents would be the grass and fire types who would have the water master. . . and your first Pokémon was Squirtle." Desi flashed her head back to Kinsi. His eyes were glowing in the darkness, a blue that seemed mystical and magical . . . and ancient. 

"You were curious of your dad's red eyes, weren't you, Kinsi?" she guessed. "When you were in school for those 4 years, no kid you met had red eyes." 

"Yes," Kinsi replied. 

"So this is all true! The last Pokémon Ukana is the one whose parents were the 2 grass and fire starters of Professor Oak... Bulbasaur, Charmander, and finally, the first Pokémon Ukana with eyes of blue. . . who is partially a Squirtle! But he was the last Ukana...and the last Ukana would evolve with his Pokémon! And your Squirtle evolved months ago!" 

Kinsi's eyes grew large, and his mouth opened wide. He heard a quick word, and started to walk away, stopping every once in a while to look back at them. But a small crystal the colour of his eyes was where he had been. 

"It. . . it looks just like his eyes," Reno gasped. 

Desi looked straight at him. "The last of the Pokémon Ukanas, said in the Pokémon prophesy, was going to find a companion of the Pokémon who would aide him. . . but whose side he's on . . . who that companion is remains a mystery. . ." 

With that, Desi spun around and disappeared. 

Chapter 4   
The Awaited Decision 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" 

Ash spun around in the dark cave. Misty usually wouldn't scream like that for nothing. Probably a bug, he thought. 

"I think I just saw a monster. . ." 

Ash spun a 90 degree angle to see what she had seen. That green glow . . . what could it be? 

"It isn't coming our way, Misty. . . we should get outta here though . . ." 

They ran and caught up with Richie, Brock, Jessie, James, and Meowth. 

"About time you two lovebirds got your butts up here," Meowth muttered. Immediately Ash and Misty, though blushing, punched Meowth so hard it saw little Pidgeys flying around its head. 

Richie chuckled to himself. "What were you doing back there?" he asked. "CERTAINLY not making out, I hope!" 

For that, he got punched as hard as Meowth—if not harder. 

"I thought I saw a MONSTER, Mr. Richie!" Misty shouted. 

"Okaaaeeeayyy," Richie wailed pitifully. 

"Ash." 

Everyone turned at the sound of the voice. Could it be?! Could Reno be back?! 

Sure enough, to the Tidal Turret gang's delight, there stood the creature, with blue fur and gray blue ears, tail bolt, paw tips, cheeks, and back stripes, and eyes the colour of tropical ocean. 

"Reno!" Mew squealed in delight, hugging him tightly. 

"Hi, Mew. . ." Reno heaved happily, reunited with his friends after a day and a half. "Watch out though, I'm practically a red machine..." 

Mew released Reno long enough to let all the others come in, and then studied him. Sure, he may have been caked with his own blood, in some areas, but he seemed to have recovered a bunch. 

"What happened?" Rainer asked, gently spraying Reno to clean him. 

"Let Desi explain," Reno mumbled, apparently very tired. 

"Who's Desi?" Rainer asked. But then he could feel eyes staring at him, and he turned slowly to see a black shadowy outline of a Mewtwo, and two glowing blue eyes. 

"This is Desi," Reno gasped, using a small flash. She appeared in front of them, and almost everyone freaked out . . . except for Ash, Reno, Mew, and the hiding creature in the shadows. . . 

Ash pulled out Dexter. "Mewtwo. A psychic genetic Pokémon. No specimen of this type has been seen like this before. No other information available." 

"So Dexter doesn't know anything. . ." Ash breathed. "I've long awaited the day I would see a Mewtwo. . ." 

"Ash," Desi remarked, "you have seen the original Mewtwo known as 'Cyro' already, the first and original Mewtwo, who the Tidal Mewtwo was spawned from. . . and Ash, you have forgotten it all due to his actions. Do not feel bad, he commanded this to happen. . . and now, it is time to tell you about your true self." 

"Huh . . .?" Ash trailed off. 

He followed Desi into an ice-covered misty cave opening. The air was chilling and icy, thick with the cold. The sky was white, out of the cave. Ash shivered and rubbed his arms to try to warm up. 

"Ash, you are the chosen one of the ancient Ukana Pokémon people. No, I am not saying that you ARE a descendant of them, being one of them that is part Pokémon...no, I am not saying that at all. But rather the chosen of them, the one who would be stronger than all of the other Pokémon masters in the world . . . yes, the chosen one who would destroy the Pokémon Hikans. . ." 

Ash scratched his head in confusion. "I don't understand." 

"You will not understand this now. But you shall, someday. . ." With that, Desi disappeared. 

Ash stood, scratching his head, until a young, kind voice broke the silence. 

"Have you seen Desi?" 

Ash flung himself around and saw that spiky headed boy that Reno had seen—eyes glowing their bright sea blue, hair coloured brown with a few gold glints shining here and there, cream coloured skin and a look so sad, yet trusting and caring on his face. 

"She just disappeared," Ash replied. 

"My name is Kinsi. Glad to meet you," he said, extending a hand with a very very very dark blue fingerless glove on it. 

"I'm Ash Ketchum, future Pokémon master," Ash remarked, shaking his hand. 

Kinsi stared intently at him. He seemed, to Ash, as if he knew something that he didn't. Like he had some hidden knowledge. As if he could understand Desi's words, know what that crazy Pokémon had meant. If only he knew himself! He thought that he would never understand this mess! Why was life so complicated sometimes? 

"You have to be the chosen one of my people." 

Ash gasped. "Can you explain this to me?" 

Kinsi shook his head. "Uh, nope, I can't. Wish I could, man. But hey, I'm just starting to understand myself." He laughed. "Dude, I wish my life wasn't so complicated. Who cares if I'm part Wartortle?" 

Ash raised an eyebrow. He started to say, "What?" but restrained himself. "Then what's significant about these 'Hikan' people?!" 

Kinsi shrugged. "Well, the Ukanas were part Pokémon, but could not be captured in Poké Balls. My best friend CAN be caught in a Poké Ball. Why that's that, I'll probably never know, but I've heard he's something special..." 

"I asked about Hikans. You deaf?" 

Kinsi stared at him. "OOHH. Well, I've heard those are like anthropomorphic or something. Maybe someday you'll come along a guy with hooves. Ha, or a Rapidash with a human head. Whatever." He walked off laughing. Ash saw a green glow, and almost freaked out, diving back into the cave. 

*** 

Misty violently shook Richie, who had just collapsed on the ground, and for absolutely no reason. 

"Richie, Richie, Richie," she urged, "Wake up!!" 

Instead, he just shook the way she shook him—unconscious, but his breathing was so hard and short that she wondered if something had happened in his lungs. He had no athsma that she knew about, and it probably would've affected him in the past if that had been the case. 

Suddenly, it occurred to her to check his pulse. She checked his pulse and his breathing. 

Nothing. 

*** 

Somewhere in the distant depths of the ocean, there was a hidden lab. Inside a test tube, a boy woke up, floating in a greenish yellow liquid. 

Nothing was familiar to him. Everything was different. All around him were other test tubes, science equipment, strange looking Pokémon, and a man sitting at a table doing an experiment. 

He suddenly looked up at the boy. "Ah, I see you are awake." 

"Who are you?" 

"I'm Dr. Worl, but you can call me Eli. This is successful, finally." 

"Who am I?" 

"You? I suppose, in a previous life, you were that Ice Islands League champion, but why would that be important to you now? You have the opportunity to become the greatest trainer in the world!" 

The boy suddenly came to, looking at himself. "Hey! What have you done to me?!" He was able to breathe in this liquid, and talk, as if he were a fish or something. Even though the liquid was very cold, he knew this because of a temperature meter attached to the tube apparently used to make sure that specimens were not affected by temperature, he felt fine. 

"Like I said, you can become the greatest master in the world! You may become part Pokémon, the part of one who takes on a partial appearance of one, and be immune to many temperature changes! Right now you are cold-blooded so your body temperature is adjusted to this. Together, you and I could conquer this world!" Eli threw his head back and laughed evilly. 

The boy looked at himself. His fingernails were growing longer, pointier and thicker, like claws. His feet were only four-toed and the nails were emerging like claws from the middle. He could see his reflection on the sides of the test tubes all around, and his teeth were growing pointy and sharp, and longer. On the top of his head, he had two stubs, almost like horns, growing up. He had a short tail. He had no shirt, a strange skin grew off his elbows and needs, and he had some jeans on that were growing into scales at the bottom at his animal-type feet. 

"You have done this to me already!" the boy cried in despair. "Who was I? Ice Islands champion . . ." 

Then, as suddenly as he said that, he heard echoing in his head, not his own thoughts but rather something interfering his thoughts, "RICHIE!!!!!!!!!!" 

*** 

"And he just died like this?" Ash asked Misty, who was crying her heart out. 

"Yes," Misty sobbed, blowing her nose. 

"Are you sure he's dead?" Brock asked. 

Misty nodded her head. Brock checked for signs of life. 

Once again, Richie lay there, still as a statue, as Misty once again yelled, "RICHIE!!!!!!!!!!" 

*** 

"It's time." 

The boy who looked part Pokémon opened his eyes. They glowed red. His dark red-brown hair was flat due to the liquid surrounding him. Deep under the red glow of his eyes, they were a grayish blue colour. Under the depressed face and hypnotized soul was a heart so kind it could stop someone from hurting a fly. The flat, emotionless expression on his face was usually a bright smile and joyful eyes. He had been totally transformed. 

"Come, make your choice now. . . would you like to go with your previous life, or stay as you are?" Eli asked, but more of an answer than a question was what the transformed boy heard. 

His voice was robotic. "I shall follow the path of the Pokémon Hikans." 

"Good." Eli laughed evilly and the emotionless face on the boy changed to an evil smile. He had no thought. He saw nothing with his own eyes. 

*** 

Richie groaned as he opened his eyes. What was this? He was in a portal of some type, or something. A turquoise and black mist surrounded him. There was no ground underneath him. He lifted himself up, seeming to be floating and yet pulled into a hidden wall of gravity. 

Suddenly he heard a voice. 

"Hello, Richie. Welcome to our realm." 

He spun around and saw an old man. He was very tall, with a long white beard and a mustache that covered his mouth. He looked kind of like an old teacher. He also seemed kind of familiar, but Richie had no clue where from. He just stared, with his mouth open, kind of searching for words. And yet, he was slowly backing up, as if to escape something. 

"I suppose you are wondering who I am, and where you are, where you have seen me before, and why you are here. You are partially afraid of me and yet want to know more at the same time." 

Richie looked down, but no ground met his eyes. 

"I am the teacher. . . you know what I mean, and you wonder how at the same time." 

Richie snapped his head up and stared at the old man. He was right. He was the teacher of the ancient Pokémon realm, but he didn't know how he knew that. 

"I'm guessing you want to know where you are." 

Richie slowly nodded. 

"This is the point that those that have no life come to." With that, Richie's eyes widened. "This is the place where those that have no life...and yet those who have no death come." 

Richie spoke for the first time. "You mean . . . I'm dead, but I'm not dead?" 

"This is your true soul here. Your body is in one place, with Misty and Ash and them. Your brain is being controlled in a separate body that is being transformed. It is up to you to find out how to get Ash to save you. . . before it is too late." 

*** 

Ash was restless in his sleep. Something just didn't seem right. Like as if Richie's supposed death hadn't been natural. He had a strange dream that night. 

In that dream, there were three Richies: an evil Richie, a normal Richie, and a dead Richie. The evil one and the normal ones collided, and Ash saw a twisted transformation happening right before his very eyes. The evil Richie became a twisted tidal Charizard anthropomorphic character, so unlike any real thing Ash had ever seen. 

Ash quickly awoke, very early in the morning. He woke his friends. "C'mon!" he cried. "I don't know why, but I can just feel that Richie needs help. . . a friend in need is a friend indeed. . ." 

*** 

Desi wiped tears from her eyes. She didn't think this could happen. Why did she have to abandon her friends like this? She didn't want to—it wasn't right. And yet, she had to. Something was calling her to it. Something was leading her to something. Maybe what she was doing was for the best. 

Reno stared up into the dark morning sky as the sun just sent its first rays of daylight over the mountains into the blue gray sky. Raindrops pelted Reno's thick blue fur. The sounds of rain colliding onto rocks and sliding off of mountain walls and dropping over the entrance of a cave were the only sounds. He started to scan the area for a sign of either of them. But the only thing he saw was so eerie that he almost fainted in fright. 

A shadowy figure, the only thing he could make out was two glowing eyes like those of a vicious monster, was emerging from the gray fog. 

Immediately he followed his instincts; he dived away back into the cave. 

A voice sighed. "Why don't they just forget their instincts. . . there is no reason for them to need them. . ." 

*** 

Kinsi yanked his fingerless gloves on as he grabbed his belongings. He quickly wrote up a note and left it with the others, who were all sleeping in the cave. He had awoken and needed to leave, to help someone, when he saw Ash and Reno awake. 

"Yo yo Kinsi, where ya goin'?" Reno asked, noticing Kinsi all packed up. 

Kinsi sighed. "To warn him." 

"What?" 

"J-Just tell Ash that he must make his choice between Richie or Misty. And if he chooses Misty, well, he'll have to live with the consequence." 

Reno just stared as Kinsi silently crept out of the cave and into the downpour. Then he slowly shook his head and crawled back to the hole on the cave wall, lined with cloth, that was his travel bed. He curled up in it and fell asleep, to have a horrible dream that would lead to the all-out decision. . . 

*** 

The boy was still flat-faced and emotionally dead. He now had full ears of a Charizard. His hands had transformed into those of a dragon. Now all that was left to transform until he was a Pokémon-human mix was his tail. 

"What is your mission, oh great one?" Eli asked. 

"To destroy the chosen one," the boy replied, no expression in his tone at all. 

"Very good, and what are you doing this for?" Eli questioned, more testing his knowledge than looking for an answer. 

"To protect the Pokémon Hikans and keep our reign going forever." 

"Very good!" Eli snickered, handing the boy some more garments of clothing and fingerless gloves. 

Outside, the boy looked evil—yet controlled. But inside a battle was being fought. His mind was in his head, but it had wandered to the depths of a place not known to human beings—the land called the Pokémon Realm. And in a cave, with the cold surrounding it and being poured by rain on, there was yet another body—with the real mind of the boy. But the evil control had invaded the real mind, leaving it up to the mind inside this strange Poké-human to save him. 

*** 

Ash groaned. He kicked his blanket off of him and pulled his shoes on. "Reno," he called, his voice low and scratchy with the morning. "Why did Kinsi leave?" 

Reno was just busy staring at the location where he had last seen the water trainer. 

"Reno?" 

Reno continued staring. 

"HEY YOU STUPID !@(&$#@&$*@)#!!!!!! C'MON!! COME TO!!!!!!" 

"SHUT THE HELL UP ASH!!!!!!" everyone else yelled in unison, and then clunked back to sleep. All except Misty. 

She groaned, sat up, and muttered, "Man, I wish Kinsi were still here, then I could battle him..." 

Suddenly, Reno jumped. "HE'S HERE HE'S HERE HE'S HERE!! KINSI'S BACK HE'S BACK HE'S BACK!" 

Kinsi walked inside. "I'm coming back to battle Misty. But after that I'm gone. C'mon Mist, show me whatcha got!" 

Reno leaped up out of his trance and led them out into the icy weather and to a place sheltered, but made perfectly for a Pokémon battle—through natural terrain. Water ran through the course in such a way that there was an area for trainers to stand in, and a battlefield lay in the middle. Kinsi settled in one side, and Misty ran to the other. But they were both thinking something about the battle, Misty a little bit MORE than the battle. . . 

Heh heh, little does she know about Kadabra and Raichu! Kinsi thought, feeling the two Ultra Balls on his belt. Even though I specialize in water types, I use 3 types, Water, Psychic and Lightning! Ha, she'll be overpowered by Wartortle, Dewgong, Gyarados, Raichu, Kadabra, and MEW!!! 

Misty, on the other hand, had different kinds of thoughts going through her head. Ack! How am I gonna fight him? What if he has other types of Pokémon than water? And he's even better looking than ASH! He's about as young, but his spiky brown hair and glowing blue eyes the colour of the sea. . . my passion, the sea. . . his gentleness is just like Richie's. . . oh, what could've happened to Richie anyway? 

"Let the battle begin!" Reno called, and Kinsi threw a Poké Ball. "Wartortle! I choose you!" 

"Starmie! Go!" Misty shouted. She thrust her Poké Ball. Out came the Water Pokémon, a star glistening in the dim foggy light. 

"Wartortle! Hyper Beam!" Kinsi ordered. 

"Hyper beam . . .?" Misty trailed off. She hadn't known whether or not a Wartortle COULD learn Hyper Beam. 

But suddenly her thoughts were yet again interrupted by Reno's quick noise. "Starmie is unable to fight! Battle one goes to Kinsi!" 

"Wha. . . ?" Misty asked, calling her Starmie back. "G-Go Staryu." 

"Wartortle, dodge her attacks while you recharge!" Kinsi told his loyal Pokémon. 

"Staryu, fill the room with a spinning tackle! Go so fast he can't see you! He's only a Wartortle! So he must be pretty low in level!" 

"Wrong, Mist!" Kinsi laughed. "It's only because I hate Blastoise! So I kept mine from evolving for months! Wartortle, Withdraw!" 

Wartortle drew its body into its shell, and Staryu bounced right off. 

"Ack! He's too strong!" Misty gasped. "Staryu, use Water gun!" 

The huge blast of water struck right into Watortle's shell. But he wasn't affected at all. Not hurt the least bit. 

"Wartortle, take it down with Bite." 

"BITE?! What kinda wussy . . . WHAT?!?!" Misty screamed as she saw her Staryu bitten by strong jaws. He was down. 

"Ack! Staryu..." 

Kinsi slowly said, "Misty. Your Pokémon are strong. But I can see your weak point." Mist looked up at him. "Your weak point. . . is your offense. Your Pokémon are slow for an all out offensive. They also don't have the defense to guard against even weak attacks like Bite. Sorry, Mist. But the truth is in the trainer." 

"Wha. . ." Misty started. 

Reno interrupted. "If the battle is over, Kinsi wins, but if Misty has more Pokémon let it rage on!" 

"Psyduck! Go!" Misty shouted, throwing the red and white Pokémon capture device onto the arena. 

"Psyduck?" Kinsi said to himself. "OK then. How about I give it a headache. . . but I won't faint it. . ." 

"Wartortle, bite its head!" he ordered, giving a little sign with his fingers Misty didn't notice. Even if she did, she didn't know what it meant. 

Wartortle lightly bit Psyduck—enough to give it a headache! 

"PSY PSY PSYDUCK!!" 

"I did it for you, Kinsi," Wartortle told its trainer. 

Psyduck all of a sudden let loose a strong blast of Psychic energy. Even though Wartortle didn't really feel anything, he faked a faint and Kinsi called him back. Out went Kinsi's Raichu! 

"You have a Raichu??!" Misty wailed. She was ready to forfeit. 

Suddenly, Ash came running out. "Stop the match! Stop the match!" He was gasping for air. 

"What's wrong Ash?" Misty asked. 

"I understand everything now! I can't understand why I didn't get it sooner. . . the reason Richie was gone was to revive. . . to bring back the enemy! To destroy the race that brought us the joy of Pokémon! If it weren't for them. . . WE WOULDN'T BE POKÉMON TRAINERS TODAY!!" Ash was almost screaming. 

"What do you mean?!" Misty asked. "Why are you going crazy?" 

"Didn't you like Richie before?? Don't you want him BACK!? Aren't you with me here?" 

"I don't get it, Ash. Richie took everything from you. I didn't take anything from you. Why do you want to save him? This is a choice, Ash! You can leave him or you can save him! But if you leave, you leave me!" 

Ash dropped his mouth wide open. "B-But. . ." 

Misty stood her ground. "I'm leaving this up to you! It's me or him!" 

Ash shook his head in dismay as he turned around. "I thought you loved me, Misty. But I guess I was wrong. I'm going to save him. . . no matter what the consequence may be." 

With that, Kinsi called back his Raichu, grabbed his backpack in the corner, gave a sign to Reno, and with a sober look on his face, started off with Ash. Misty caught one last glance right into his glowing blue eyes. 

The rest of the Tidal Turret gang followed after Ash as he walked off. Misty stood ground. "Good bye Ash. I was wondering if I missed you." 

Chapter 4   
I Thought I Trusted You 

The green-yellow liquid encased a creature so twisted and deformed that no one could tell what it was. Its eyes were closed, its hair floating in the liquid, and its arms folded around it. 

And suddenly, the stillness was broken by the abrupt movement of the creature'es eyes. It opened them. 

It was all an illusion to him: nothing was real, nothing existed. He was in a world called the Pokémon realm. He must destroy that realm. If he could not, the Pokémon Hikans would be destroyed, and this time they could not be revived. He had to destroy the one last place that the mind could roam to save the ultimate being. The transformation was near complete: it would only be finished, however, if all traces of the mind were gone, and a pure Pokémon Hikan would come. That mind only roamed in the Pokémon Realm. The original body was dead; one body was just an illusion created by the mind, set into a world for that mind to discover its way out and its way to save itself; and one body was a twisted, deformed creature with intentions only to destroy the mind. To delete this . . . illusion. To destroy the body's way of reviving the soul and have, once again, the rule of humans over them. Over Pokémon. Over morphs of both. 

The colour of the room changed as a light flipped on. Voices bounced back and forth over speakers in the room. 

"He is awake. His blood is being pumped at .92841 per beat. His temperature is 40° Fahrenheit. The cylinder temperature is 1° Celsius." 

"Good. Now change the doses." 

The creature felt strange. As if something was. . . wrong. He put his arm to his head to find, attached, strange cables. He looked over and saw, behind him, a machine in which the cables were attached. He read as they had said; awake, .92841, 40, and 1. But below it was strange information, things he did not recognize. It read: 

5.2 GPS dr. 2.5 GPS pdr. 5.0 

And as suddenly as he had read it, it changed. 

8.3 GPS dr. 4.1 GPS pdr 8.6 

His head felt strange. The cables on his head were attached to the machine, and behind it he saw a man. He didn't recognize him. But the tools he held in his hands included a large container of a strange liquid. He saw that man emptying the liquid into a spout in the machine as soon as the strange numbers changed. And as soon as those numbers had changed, his head felt different. He discovered it. Those strange numbers were those "doses" that voice had been talking about. Doses of something. What it was he did not know, but he did not like it. It felt . . . strange. Like a part of him was being added. He tried to rip the cables from his head, but they were attached like glue. 

"Uh oh. Eli, it seems A-9 is trying to remove the alopestorine cables." 

"Add some pedrocani to the doses." 

"What will that do? Oh, fine." 

Suddenly, he felt even stranger. His stomach hurt. His head hurt. He was dizzy. He was tired. He closed his eyes, and his world went black. 

*** 

Ash wiped the water from his clothing. He and Kinsi were taking a rest before they continued to an island Reno had told them about: Cinnoat Island. 

Kinsi, who had been sitting underneath the eaves of the cave they were in beside the beach, finally spoke up. "Ash, are you sure you wanted to do that?" 

"Do what?" 

"Abandon Misty for Richie?" 

"I thought that Richie was more important because. . . well, Richie could die if I didn't go and save him. Why do you ask. . ." 

"Then what Ash says is true. . ." Kinsi interrupted. Ash stared at him. What did he mean? All that HE told Kinsi was true. But the way he said it made it seem like he was talking about someone else. Kinsi, to his surprise, pulled out of his pocket a blue crystal, the colour of his eyes. It shone and glittered even without sunlight. Ash looked at Kinsi with a look on his face of pure puzzlement and Kinsi replied, "Let me tell you something, Ash . . . a story that has been passed from my grandfather to my father and then to me and my best friend. A story . . . that may help you understand this crisis with Richie more. And about Ash. . . this story will tell of him and what happened to him. . . and why you would instinctively run away, knowing not of what would happen. Why did you do that? Because you were afraid. You were afraid of the truth. You were afraid that your routine might be changed. You were afraid that this being that you saw would hurt you so that you could never see Misty again. But the truth should be revealed to you now, chosen one. Come, Ash." 

Ash was about to move, but he saw something that made him freeze in his tracks. That same green glow he had seen many times before was closer than ever. But just as he was about to turn, he felt Kinsi steady him and heard him whisper, "It's alright. Just stay here." 

Ash balanced himself out. "Were you talking to me?" 

"No. I wasn't." 

At that moment, a boy—a boy, who looked no older than 11 or 12—emerged from the darkness. Those glowing green eyes. . . they were what had been haunting everyone?! Ash couldn't believe it. 

"Ash. . . say hello to Ash Piercon." 

Ash looked at the boy. He looked strangely like Gary. Except for his green eyes. And many other things about him. But he had hair spiked like Gary's, about the same colour. 

Ash Piercon held out a hand, covered in fingerless gloves. Ash put his hand out to shake. Ash Piercon's hand felt cold to the touch, and the look on his face was as cold as his hands. He nodded. He started to speak. His voice was older than Kinsi's. It was a bit deep, and Ash felt as though he had heard it somewhere before. 

"I've been waiting to meet you, Ash. I thought maybe you could save me. . . or my friends. . . but unfortunately it is too late. Kinsi told me all about something he felt for a long time. And then he told me later about you. At that time I was hoping I could talk to you. . . to get help for us. . . but you kept running away. But I understand. You were afraid of the truth. The truth, Ash, is this is all just a Pokémon realm. All Pokémon out of this realm will be destroyed. I had heard that the chosen one would bring peace to me and my friends. But . . . my friends did not make it into this realm . . . the chosen one would be the only one who could save us. . . but he was too afraid of this sad truth to know about the outside world where Pokémon did not exist. 

"But now we are asking you a favour. Though 20 of my friends have died, we will ALL die if we do not destroy the force that is trying to destroy this. This illusion of our world. But this illusion is what we want. If we can get rid of the Pokémon Hikans, we can create this world—we can make it real. But we need your help," Ash Piercon told Ash. 

"So. . . Pikachu . . . Butterfree. . . Pidgeot. . . all of my Pokémon. . . exist only in an illusion? And this is all just a world that was created by someone to show us. . ." Ash started. 

"To show us the joy of something that is not real," Kinsi told him, interrupting. "But it was also to bring us hope for a new life. In a perfect world there would be no pain, no suffering, no illusions of life. But this is that illusion. The final illusion. And if you succeed, it will be an illusion. . . no longer. We're counting on you, Ash. This battle you'll face alone. . . human vs. Pokémon. Good luck." 

"What?" Ash exclaimed in horror. What could this all mean? So this illusion was going to become reality and Pikachu could be real if he could just destroy this force! It couldn't be hard. But what did they mean, human vs. Pokémon? And why had Ash P's friends died in the real world. . . if. . . 

"Oh, Ash. . . if you're wondering, this battle will probably be harder than you think. Someone who you love. . . and someone who you hold dear . . . will betray you in the mind of those who are real. Someday this will make sense. But we are encouraging you. Go, Ash, and set us free," Kinsi finished. 

Ash then noticed something. Kinsi and Ash P, standing side by side, both had the same level of eye. And their eyes both looked the same. They both glowed brightly--one a sea blue, the other a bright green. 

Ash looked at Pikachu. "C'mon, Pikachu." 

"OK, Ash." 

Ash and Pikachu walked slowly away. 

As soon as he was out of sight, Ash P and Kinsi started talking. 

"Do you think you'll manage to do it?" Kinsi asked. 

"Yeah. You know me. I can do anything if I set my mind to it." 

"But this one, you don't have a real mind in here. Not until he's done." 

"Do you think that matters? I can do it. And I'll come back, I promise. Kinsi, if I don't come back . . . you can curse us forever. And I have to come back. If I don't, then I'm not what my father was. . . Andrew Ash Piercon, the greatest man ever. . . but if I don't return. . . I won't be his son." 

"Ash, I'm not sure if that wasn't true already." 

*** 

"What do you mean? That I'm gonna attack someone who is a dear friend?" Richie exclaimed. 

"Richie, he's coming to save you. You are going to start feeling a bit strange. Drowsy. Possibly filled with pain. If you fall asleep, submit to the pain, or pass out, no one will come back from here alive except for you. But nothing will be the same. Fight, Richie, fight for them. They're counting on you." 

Richie sighed. "But if they're counting on me. . . why do I feel so weak. . ." 

*** 

"What's wrong with Misty?" Brock asked Andrea as Misty seemed to be having a fit. 

"She left her poor Ashy-washy to go kill himself, or at least that's what she says," Andrea said, shrugging. "I don't understand any of this crap." 

"Neither do I. Where is Ash, anyway?" 

"Ash? Well, don't expect to see him back any day soon," Reno interrupted. Followed by the Tidal Turrets, Reno walked back into the cave. He shook off his fur, drying off. 

"What?" 

"Ash went to save the world, or so Kinsi says," Rainer said, shrugging. "Well, wish him luck. He's gonna need it." 

Brock put down a cup that he had been drinking from and said to Andrea, "Something tells me this is more serious than Misty thinks." 

"You're right," Andrea replied, putting down her cup as well, and they walked over to Misty. 

*** 

"It's sure creepy in here," Ash whispered to Pikachu. His senses had led him to a very dark cave. The only light came from a place that Ash and Pikachu were coming to. 

"Shh!" Pikachu hissed. Suddenly, some voices were heard. 

"Do you think he's going to come?" one voice said. It was an old voice, seeming to come from an old man. 

"Of course he's going to come!" a younger voice said. "It's a perfect trap! He won't know what we cooked up, and we'll have this place destroyed forever!" 

"No!" Ash whispered to Pikachu. "I see what they're doing! We'll have to think harder. . ." 

Suddenly he had an idea. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out a black utensil and a white one. Soon the idea was underway. . . 

*** 

"Why hasn't he come yet?" 

A young man's irritated voice made Eli look up in frustration. He gave the man a look that made him immediately look back to his work. 

"Shut up, Musta. How should I know why he hasn't shown up yet? Do you think I control his fate?" Eli shouted at him in disgust, his white mustache tickling his speech. 

"Well, if you're going to kill him, I'm guessing you do control his fate," the young man squeaked. 

Eli put a hand on his beard. "Hmmm...I suppose you're right." 

"Hey Eli! We got something from the company's Pikachu!" A very young teenager, about 15, walked in. He had dark gloves and camouflage jeans on. He had a black shirt with the word "Element" on it, and on his head over short light brown hair that had a few longer strands that fell between his emerald green eyes, a black cap with red letters spelling "Birdhouse" on it. In his hand, he held a small white sheet of paper. 

"Go away, Tony—wait, what did you say?" Eli's gray eyes lit up as he saw what the boy, named Tony, held in his hand. 

"Aw, Eric's Pikachu came with this note about our stuff, so. . ." Tony said, swiping the cap off of his hair, revealing a spike style that somehow stayed that way underneath the hat. His hair was a messy spike-style—too "punkish" for the office men's taste, as they would say. 

"Give me that! . . . ohh, our glycon is in! Tony, watch the place while we go pick up our orders," Eli ordered him. He quickly walked off, and other men followed. 

Tony stared after them. "O-kaaay. I never thought Eric's Pikachu meant THAT much." 

Suddenly Tony noticed the "secret" that Eli had been talking about. In the room he was in, there was a large tube filled with a light yellow-green liquid. Inside was a beastly looking boy, looking no older than 10 or 11, with cables attached to him. These cables were attached to a machine and the machine read with numbers and letters, obviously measuring something. "Hey, who're you?" Tony asked the boy. He opened his eyes, revealing a red glow that made Tony jump. 

"I don't know who I am," the boy replied. His voice was low, as if he was sick or something. But he was able to talk in the liquid. The liquid seemed to glow. His voice seemed as if it was a bit higher than it sounded right now. 

"I'm Tony. What have they done to you?" 

"I don't know. . . but they're hurting me." The boy cried out in disgust a word that Tony could not make out, and then continued, "It feels like they're sucking out all my life and giving me a new one. As if I'm some sort of experiment." 

Tony couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Well, from the look of things, I think you are an experiment. Look at you! Cables connected to you, stuck in a test tube, with GALLONS PER SECOND written as some chemicals are inserted to you!" 

"I noticed that. They're sucking out my life! Ack. . . what did I ever do. . ." 

Suddenly, a crash was heard. Tony spun around to see broken glass on the ground. Inside, there was a boy. Suddenly the experimental boy shouted. 

"Ack! Ash! Something. . . I know you . . . but why do I want to fight you. . ." he shouted. 

"Richie! It's you!" Ash cried. 

"Richie! That's who I am!" the boy said, his eyes growing large. "But why do I have this incredible urge to hurt you?!" He cried out again, but the glass around him shattered. His eyes glowed. The liquid splashed on the floor. 

"Whoa! That's what they were doing?!" Tony exclaimed, as the cables slowly fell off Richie. 

Richie seemed inhuman, and he said lowly in his sickly voice, "This world will be gone once I destroy you. . ." 

"Richie, buddy? What's wrong?" 

"Who is Richie?" 

"You!" 

"I know no Richie." 

"You ARE a Richie!" 

Suddenly Richie jumped on Ash, his eyes glowing brightly. He started to fight him—true to Ash and Kinsi's word. Ash couldn't move or talk. The pain he felt from those claws on Richie's hands and the force of his fists. Ash almost submitted to the pain and almost gave up—but he opened his eyes before he stopped fighting. Beside him, and trickling down his face, was red blood. He realized whose it was—his own. He knew that letting too much of it would kill him, so he pushed him off, getting up and throwing off his jacket. 

"Ash?" Tony asked. "I'm Tony. Here!" He threw him a white cloth, and Ash dabbed it to his eyes quickly just before he leaped out of the way of Richie's lunge. Ash tossed the cloth to the side, revealing its redness and wetness. Tony picked it up and wondered who this kid was. 

Once again, Ash engaged battle with Richie. And once again, he was thrown back into the wall, and this time he fell over. 

"Why do you challenge me, Ash?" Richie asked in his sickly tone. "You are overpowered by the Pokémon Hikans, Ukana fiend!" 

"Because I have to save my friends . . . why can't you understand who you are and what you're doing?!" Ash groaned. He opened one eye and wiped it with his hand. He stood up, barely, and moaned. 

Richie tried to punch him, but Ash blocked it. He threw him down, and for once the creature seemed weakened. A bit. 

Ash took advantage of the time and reached for a metal rod lying on the ground. He had hit a cabinet when Richie had thrown him around, and one of the rods holding it together had fallen off. He whacked Richie to keep him down. Then he searched for Pikachu. His face had a stream of sweat rolling down it. Pikachu was nowhere to be seen. 

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted. Suddenly he fell over. A big wooden board explained why. 

"You think you can defeat me?" Richie muttered. 

Ash almost passed out. He had so much pain. And Richie wasn't hesitating to whack him over and over with the board. 

"Heh. Some chosen one." Ash had his eyes closed and lay on the ground like a dead dog. 

"What are you doing!?" suddenly rang out as Tony punched Richie. "Get up Ash and fight like a man! And I'll help you!" 

Ash's eyes shot open, and he stood up. He continued his battle. 

As Richie blocked and punched, and got punched, he thought, Yes, Ash, go ahead and fight me. . . but the true surprise is yet to come. . . 

Chapter 5   
How will I ever tell Kinsi 

Ash finished a kick to the human-Pokémon mix and watched him slam into the wall. The walls were stained red and the ground was a mess of broken glass, dust, crumbled rock and cement, and other debris. One of the walls had broken right through into another lab room. Tony recognized that room as his lab room. Inside was a lot of machinery and other mechanical objects. Tony had built some of the machines that Richie had been hooked to, which was why he recognized what was happening when he saw Richie in there. 

Richie lept up almost unharmed by the kick and brushed himself off. "You do not realize that only those with the power of the Pokémon warriors can fight the Hikans to destroy them! But you, just a brush on the Ukana, the weakest race in Pokémon history!" 

"Wrong," Tony said, saving Ash from harm right at the last second again. "The Ukana were the wisest and most developed Pokémon race and the Hikans were just the most battle-prepared. The Hikans loved war and were eventually wiped out by special weapons created by the wise Pokémon Ukanas! One of you has been revived, which is you." 

"But we rise to power over you now!" Richie remarked. "How else am I defeating him?" 

"Because he's waiting for something. You are, after all, his friend. Can't you see he's waiting for you to come back? He has to bring you back without killing you. Friendship and love are more powerful than anything else in the world. But what are we finding by using violence to solve this? We'll make it worse. You kill him, and your life will continue like this. I remembered hearing your voice when I was working in the lab complaining about this! Do you really want to stay like this?" 

Richie looked at him, and for a second Ash could've sworn he saw his blue-gray eyes appearing again. But then he shook his head. "Never! I hate this life! So once I eliminate this realm, all of those with the Pokémon presence of mind shall be killed and I can be normal again!" 

Tony suddenly remembered something Eli had said. "Follow your soul." But he also remembered something his best friend had said when he left to work with Eli, due to his parents' sending him: "C'mon, Tony. Be a punk like you used to be. Won'tcha stay with us? C'mon!" So he decided to act how he had been back at home. 

He teamed with Ash to fight against him. But soon it made no difference. Ash lay on the ground, sides heaving as he tried to catch his breath, and the raging fight continued with Tony. 

Whack! Tony fell, coughing, and landed on the ground. Richie stood up, panting, and searched for something sharp. Then, he muttered, "It's finished, losers." He was ready to finish them—but suddenly. . . 

CRASH! 

A shower of glass fell on Ash, waking him up, as he saw a quick blaze of colour flying past him. "What the heck. . ." he mumbled, his vision still hazy and blurry. He could only tell what was going on by his hearing. 

"Lay off! Hey, who are you?" 

"...." 

"Get off of me! Cough. . . who are you?!" 

"Leave him alone!" That voice was familiar—but in his weakness, he couldn't guess whose it was. 

Ash collapsed again, and had no idea what would be happening in the next hour he would be out. . . 

*** 

Richie opened his eyes. Blackness surrounded him. "What the. . ." he muttered. He couldn't see very much. But he ached all over, as if he had been beaten up by something strong. 

The old teacher he hadn't known stood before him, suddenly appearing to him. "Congratulations, Richie. You made it. The pain you are feeling is the pain that the self in the living part of the Pokémon realm. If you can fight it, you can keep those alive who rely on you. Your impulses are rushing faster than ever. You're feeling a bit strange, as if dizzy, weak, in pain, and yet angry at dear friends at the same time. But if you think about the good times and stay awake, you'll be able to save them. . ." 

*** 

"Whaddaya mean, Ash is saving the world?!" 

"I mean Ash is saving the world." 

"How can Ash save the world?" Misty had been taking this. . . interestingly well. 

"Uh...how should I know?" Andrea said with a shrug. 

"Well, you'd BETTER know or I'll take it to you. . ." Misty threatened in a low, scratchy voice, grabbing Andrea by the shirt, "like this." She ran a finger across her throat, kind of a "dead meat" motion. Then she did a motion that somewhat resembled what could be a wrestling move. 

Andrea's eyes somewhat resembled dinner plates. 

She nodded quickly, running off to talk to Reno to give her new-found enemy an answer to her question for her life. 

*** 

Ash groaned. Where am I? he thought, rolling over. Around him, 3 things—he wasn't sure what they were—were lying around him. But when he moved and felt the pain, he sat back down. He ached all over—that was nothing new. But then one of those objects around him moved too. 

He saw two glowing eyes and knew immediately what all those weird things around him were. 

He looked at the two remaining bodies, Tony and. . . who was that? 

Tony groaned and rolled over. "Hey Ash. . ." 

Once again, the lights around them dimmed, and some zaps fired as the lights blinked, flashed, and dimmed to a low level. To dim Ash's view of the other body. It lay in the shadows, sleeping, awaiting its time to come back into the world—if there was one. 

"What?" Ash said, pulling a ragged pinkish cloth to him to wipe his face. 

"You're still alive. . ." 

"Yeah." 

"I'm not." 

Ash raised an eyebrow. 

Tony looked over at Richie, who was pulling himself up with a look so evil that it chilled him to think about it. But then suddenly he noticed the deep cut that slashed across his stomach. 

"Psst, Ash! Kick him in the stomach! That will knock the wind out of him, and the blood!" 

"Uck, really? I don't want to see THAT!" 

"Well, you've seen enough of it throughout this battle. I mean, you're covered with it. Why would it bother you now?" 

"It's just. . . brutal. Especially to be beating the crap out of a friend. It's just so brutal to see the bloodshed by your friends and see the piece of them beaten out." 

Tony muttered, "You could be friends with this guy? I'm still wondering about that." 

"Yeah. He was a very nice person. . . before this soul possessed him. . . before this vile transformation took place. . ." Ash replied, looking over at him, as he struggled to get up. He seemed to be inspecting the body lying in the shadows. 

But as Ash prepared to fight more, Richie stood up with a questioning look. And Ash saw his once kind, blue-gray eyes again. "Why am I doing this?" he groaned. "Why am I fighting you?" 

"I don't know," Ash answered. He handed Richie the cloth he had used to wipe his face. "Wipe that gash." 

Richie obeyed. Quickly a swish and some footsteps were heard, but as Ash and Richie turned around, they saw nothing moving at all. 

Ash reached his hand out for the cloth. Richie gave it to him, and then sat down in pain, groaning and holding his stomach. 

"Quite a gash," Ash said, looking at it. It was pretty deep, but it would heal up. 

"I just want to know what's happening to me," Richie said, looking up. 

"Huh?" Ash replied, looking at him up and down. "You LOOK like you've been turned half-Pokémon." 

"I noticed that. But I feel no different. . . except my mind controls itself. Sometimes I'm able to be myself and then the next second everything is different. Like as if a big block of my mind is ripped out so all I remember is suddenly being aware that everything is different. And this time I realized I was fighting you by the gash and the way you were ready to fight. But I don't remember anything before that except when I was talking to you in that other room. . . before this place was wreaked. Before there was weird things going on and before there was blood covering the walls. Before I felt this way. Before I knew what was happening with my mind. Before my life really sucked." 

Suddenly Richie grabbed his head. "What's happening to me. . ." Ash quickly grabbed him to keep him from falling over. 

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked. 

"Do I look okay?!" Richie asked him, in a groaning voice. "I've got a big gash on my stomach, my head hurts like hell, and I've got dry blood on me! Sure I'm okay!" 

"Sorry. . . I meant are you feeling INHUMAN? Are you feeling like it's happening again?" 

"No . . . yes. . . oh, yes. . . and it's not good at all. . ." 

Suddenly the red glow appeared again. Richie looked up at Ash and almost whacked him unconscious with his small tail. Ash opened his eyes and saw it again. The shower of glass landed on him again, and he could recognize it now. 

"Go away! You've come back!" 

". . ." 

Ash vaguely saw two boys fighting. He recognized both of them. 

"Ash Piercon!?" 

Sure enough, the red-brown spiky-haired boy with the glowing green eyes was choking Richie. "Go, Ash! I'll handle this!" 

Ash coughed. "Umm . . . okay. . ." 

Tony tossed Ash a Poké Ball. "Here, Ash!" 

"What's this?" 

"You dropped it. I'm not sure who it is." 

Ash opened it up. "Pikachu?!" 

"Some guy put me in this Poké Ball. That moron!" Pikachu mumbled, and Ash ran off, Pikachu following close behind. 

*** 

Darkness showered in moonlight filled the night. "Where's Ash. . ." said two souls. Kinsi Teras and Misty Waterflower. 

Misty was just worried. Kinsi knew what was going on. He could feel and sense trouble, as if something had gone wrong. As if the battle had been lost. 

They sat near each other in the moonlit night, and the midnight blue sky almost matched the sea blue glow in Kinsi's eyes. The moon, more of a dark golden colour on this particular night, shone brighter than many other nights. 

"Kinsi, do you think he's . . . alright?" Misty asked in a worried tone. 

"I don't know, Mist, I really don't. Something just doesn't seem right." 

"It seems like he should've come back by now. . ." she whined. 

"Don't underestimate this battle, Misty. Ash is up against someone he finds very close to him. Someone who is horrifically strong and powerful. Think about it. You might learn." Kinsi leaned back and stretched. "I'm wondering about MY Ash. You know Ash Piercon has the guts for anything. . . but his strength is limited. . . ever since the accident." 

"Accident?" Misty asked, looking over at the overly-cute blue-eyed boy sitting on a rock staring up at the moon. 

"It happened about half a year ago, a bit after I first met him. The tidal Raichu are strange enough for Raichu. . . but this was no normal Raichu, nor even near a tidal Raichu. Ash's efforts to save this Pokémon resulted in the biggest knockout of his life—and to imagine he had just gotten beat up by a Geodude and fried by his Charmander (on accident) just less than 5 hours before. Ever since that horrid, fateful day, Ash hasn't been able to fight the same. He still has his agressive spirit, oh yes, nothing can take THAT from him. But his strength is limited and he just can't work out the same." 

"I'd be speechless, but I'm talking right now." 

"I'd laugh, but I'm too worried to do that." 

"I don't blame you. I almost feel sick of worry." 

"Don't worry. I'm sick of worry too." Kinsi smiled at her, and she smiled back, blushing like crazy. She was having too much boy trouble over this week. That was for sure. 

"Hey. . . Kinsi. . ." Misty said without leaving her hint of uneasy crush out of her voice. Once again, she had been disappointed with Ash, and was yet again out for another guy. She slowly scooted over next to him, blushing tomato red. 

"What are you doing?" Kinsi asked, noticing how close she had come. "You aren't. . ." 

Misty smiled at him. "Kinsi, I have something to tell you." 

Kinsi looked over at her, turning red, and as the moonlight dimmed in other places the clouds dimmed the moon to a small light formation around them two. 

Kinsi gave her a look that showed some disapproval and yet approval at the woman coming closer every second, until she basically knocked him over underneath the the moonlight and behind the rocks. . . 

*** 

"Get back here!!" Tony shouted. 

Ash Ketchum ran back with Pikachu. There, Richie stood, triumphant, or was he, over the unmoving body of Ash Piercon. 

But as suddenly as he had stayed down, Ash Piercon lept up. He started to fight with power overpassing his age—he fought more like a 20-year-old man rather than a near-12 boy. Then, he beat Richie into a corner, where Richie then tried to retreat by climbing on lab items strewn around. Ash had just looked away when Richie pulled a small cord, as sparks struck for one second. Then a box started to fall, slowly. 

"Get outta here now! It's a bomb, Ash!" Tony suddenly yelled. 

Ash stood tranced for a second, looking up and watching as the box descended down from where Richie had pulled the cord—he must have been planning to have Ash P knock him over there. Then he started to walk backwards, and then turned and ran. The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes and fell onto the ground by the force of an explosion was fire and sparks and Ash Piercon falling over, looking like a hurricane of fire and pain. 

"How will I ever tell Kinsi. . ." Ash gasped. "I believed him, too. . ." 

*** 

Kinsi gasped as he leaped over the rocks. "That's not right, Misty. I can't." 

Misty looked up. "Why's that? I hate Ash Ketchum." 

Kinsi snickered. "Yeah, right, you were just worried sick half an hour ago. . . before we . . ." 

"Oh, well, who cares? It's not important. He's just cute, ya know?" 

"Well, that's what you said about me half an hour ago when you knocked me over. Remember?" Kinsi said with a hard look. "And look what that leads to." 

Misty sighed. "Well, you're OVERLY cute." 

Kinsi slapped his forehead. "It's just wrong, okay? Besides. . ." He looked back down. "I only did that for you. I don't even LIKE you or anything. . . I mean, I don't think you're cute or anything. No offense." 

"What?" Misty asked, looking at him hurtfully. 

"Sorry." He blushed and grinned. Had to get that out, he thought. 

Kinsi lept back up over the rocks. His hair was rather messy and out of its semi-punkish style. Misty jumped back up. She didn't look exactly normal. 

"Hey, Kinsi," Brock's voice suddenly said, and Kinsi leaped up in fright and fell over backwards behind the rocks. 

Brock laughed. "What's wrong, Kinsi? Been doin' something behind our backs? ...Whoa. Misty, you look. . . excited." 

Misty made a lopsided grin, eyes half-closed. "Noth-ing. . ." she said in a weary, sing-song voice. 

Kinsi jumped back up. "She kissed me. I've never been kissed by a girl in my life." He was a bit dizzy. 

Brock stared at him in disbelief. "You sure she just 'kissed' you? You look more like you got smothered." 

Kinsi rolled his eyes. "Well, I didn't kiss HER. She knocked me OVER. And...ummm.... yeah." 

Misty muttered, "Ash Ketchum sucks. I mean it." 

"Then the second he comes back, you're gonna be smothering HIM as much as you clocked Kinsi!" Brock joked. 

"Yeah. Right," Misty said sarcastically. She tried to slip her arm around Kinsi (isn't that supposed to be the other way around?) but he swatted her away. 

"Psst! Misty! Remember, I have nothing to do with this," he muttered. 

"Yeah. Right," Misty said sarcastically. 

"Shut up, I don't want anybody knowing about this except Brock." 

"Hey Andrea! I caught Misty making out with Kinsi! What a surprise!" Brock shouted into the room. 

Reno was the first to appear. "You did? Really?" 

Suddenly, Kinsi was in his face. "No, he didn't. I was being myself and being worried sick about my best friend when suddenly Misty jumps on me and kisses me. Got that?" 

"Uhhh, no. I got that you jumped on Misty, started to make out with her." 

"You never believe me. I hate you." 

"I was just kidding." 

"I don't believe that." 

"You suck!" 

*** 

Ash's eyes flickered open. He rolled over off the ground. There was one thing rolling through his mind. 

I hate being chosen, I hate being chosen, I hate being chosen... Ash though as he staggered to his feet. Fire burned slowly and sparks rose into the dark air. The lab building had its top blown off. Ash could see the cave roof. The fire had died down, and water was still dropping from stalactites on the cave ceiling. 

Suddenly he looked around and saw Tony shaking his head. His hair was drenched with sweat, spiked in all directions, as he looked over the ruins of his old teen workspot. 

"I think Eli's gonna die of a heart attack the moment he sees this," he mumbled, his eyes closed in disbelief. 

"Really. Where's the bomb-detonating box dude?" 

"You talking about this guy?" Tony said, pulling a still-lying figure to his feet. Burns lined him and wood splinters scattered the floor where Richie had lay. 

"Who else?" 

"Maybe him," Tony said, pointing toward someone else in the ashes and embers. "But I guess I can't guess him. He's gotta be dead. Having a bomb land on him like that? He's probably on fire." 

"No!" Ash said, running to the other person. He pulled him out of the ashes. His clothes were burned and singed, his hands full of ash and singed, and his hair burned to be at least half an inch shorter. It was Ash Piercon. Tony was right, he had to be dead. He lifted him to his feet and held him for a second. "You can't be dead. . . even if you are." 

He pulled one of his eyelids up. He saw for the first time that Ash Piercon's eyes were not the bright glowing green he had seen, rather, a dull hazel green. He couldn't believe it. Was Kinsi like this too? 

He wiped off the ashes on his face and asked Tony for some water. Tony tossed him a water bottle and Ash splashed him to try and clean him up as best he could. 

"I can't believe this!" Ash shouted. "How will I tell Kinsi! How?! How?!" 

"Tell him what?" 

"THAT HIS BEST FRIEND IS DEAD!" 

"I'll help." 

"Do you even know Kinsi?" 

"Uh, no...." 

Ash did the anime fall. 

"I can still tell him what happened. To save you." 

"Uh, sure. Thanks." 

"No prob. Let's head out." 

They started to walk out, but a voice stopped them. 

"Tooooonnnnnyyyyyyyy!!!!!!" 

Tony stopped where he was. It was Eli. 

"WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO MY LAB?!?!?" 

Tony didn't answer and ran out the sides of the broken lab with Ash. 

*** 

Kinsi sat inside, head in his palms, looking bored as Brock lectured him about the reasons not to fall in love at 10. 

I don't even LIKE Misty. She JUMPED on me. What else could I DO? he thought, not even bothering to listen to Brock. 

"Now do you understand?" 

Kinsi didn't answer, nor did his face. 

"Uh, Kinsi?" 

Kinsi wasn't paying attention to any of it, Brock soon realized. He facefaulted. "KINSI!!" 

"Uh huh! Yes! I know! Indeed! I won't be a loser!" Kinsi suddenly shouted, his eyes opening wide and his mouth exceeding the humanly known limit of opening, and sitting up. 

*** 

Ash crashed into another wall. "Ouch!" 

Tony dragged him off the cave wall and shoved him in front of him. "Go THAT way." 

"Sorry." 

He crashed into a stalactite. "Ow! My head!" 

Tony shook his head. "Whoo boy. . . this will take a while." 

*** 

In Eli's lab, he looked around. He saw the tube Richie had been in destroyed, and the liquid all around. 

"I guess he's finished here." He shook his head. 

Suddenly a figure appeared in front of him. It was someone Eli recognized in a way, but he had changed. 

"I'm sorry to announce your stupid 'experiment' has been called off." The voice was something he had heard before. 

Everything all started to click. 

"Richie?!" 

"Yes, it's me. No surprise. That kid over there's dead - but I'm not." 

*** 

Richie was breathing hard and his eyes were opened wide. 

"What just happened? I'm so tired.... but I feel a lot better." 

The old teacher spoke. "You made it. Congratulations." 

He looked up, and stood up. "What?" 

*** 

Ash and Tony finally came out of the cave, and Ash had more blood on his head. 

"You idiot," Tony muttered. "I didn't know it was humanly possible to crash into so many obstacles." 

Ash held a bruise on his forehead. "Shut up. Now I can't see straight. Point me in the right direction, will ya?" 

"Okay. Hold onto my shoe and you should be fine. We're crossing the sea now." 

"Oh, are we? Cool." 

*** 

Misty sat inside her "solitary confinement room" where Brock had put her. It wasn't really a room. Just a cave area Brock had closed off. 

I hate Kinsi. I hate Kinsi. I hate Kinsi. 

She heard a knock on the rock. 

"Come in," she called. 

It was Kinsi. Great timing, she thought. 

"Your fault!" he shouted, "Your fault! It was YOU! YOU! YOU!" Misty sighed. 

All of a sudden, the rocks all burst. 

"What's going on?" said a recognizable voice. 

Misty and Kinsi stood side by side, eyes wide and mouths hanging. 

"Well?" 

They snapped to attention. Pointing at each other, they both said something at the same time and quickly. 

"He started it!" Misty shouted. 

"She started it!" Kinsi cried. 

"Started what?" 

"You forgot, Misty! Ash doesn't know yet!" 

Ash was back, and that was for sure. 

"Know what?" 

And suddenly Brock was right behind them. "That Misty made out with Kinsi?" 

"Waa!!" Ash suddenly shouted, mouth wide. 

Brock already knew all-too-well how the mallet felt, so it was no different feeling to be banged again. 

*** 

Lying wide awake in his bed that night, Ash was thinking. A new activity for him, but he was thinking. 

So Misty likes Kinsi, eh... he thought. He suddenly looked up at someone talking. 

Kinsi rolled over. "I use the r-Hair gel 100 level, hyperactive hold, yes." He was sleep-talking, but it gave Ash an idea. 

He snuck over to Kinsi's sleeping bag and found his backpack on the ground. Reaching inside he pulled out the 100 level hyperactive hold hair gel from the company r-Hair. He also yanked out some level 50 crazy hold hair spray from the same company. Squirting some of the gel in his hand, he snickered. "This will be good." 

*** 

"Hmmm... yes? Yeah, I like frosty donuts," Kinsi said. 

*** 

Holding his head, Richie stumbled out of the destroyed lab. Seeing the trails of red along the ruins and debris lying around and drops of it on the cave floor around him, he was wondering how it all could have happened so quickly. All he remembered was a few moments of pain, infestation, and so much other bits that had all raced through his mind at once that he couldn't remember them. He also remembered being an experiment. 

"Oh Ash," he whispered aloud, "how could you have gone through all of this for me?" A tear fell down his cheek. 

But out of nowhere, the debris started shaking. Dust and broken cement started rising from the rubble. And as suddenly as the noise and shaking started it stopped. 

Richie's eyes were open wide and so was his mouth... until the dust started coming in and he shut it. 

Slowly backing away, scared half to death, Richie whispered to himself, "I'll be okay... I've lived through all that... nothing can kill me now..." 

*** 

Meanwhile, while Richie thinks about life, Ash thinks about love.... no surprise. 

Feeling his hair, Ash thought, She better like this. 

Misty yawned. Her eyes flickered open—straight to Ash. 

Why am I looking at him right as I wake up... Misty thought, and suddenly noticed his hair. And before I knew something was up with his hair... I didn't think I still cared! 

Ash looked over at her. "Whaddaya think Misty?" 

"Different," she mumbled. Why do I still want to be his girlfriend? 

"Different?" he said, disappointed. After all she's done to me, I want her as my girlfriend? 

"Well... you look like Kinsi in a way... well, not that much different if you look like someone... but different for you." Why have I not wanted what we had before? 

"Hehe," Ash replied, quietly laughing. Why couldn't I just go with her before? 

And then they both thought, I should just admit it! And now! 

They said at the same time, "I love you." 

*** 

Richie opened his eyes. I'm so tired... he thought. That rest sure felt good. 

He stood up, rubbed his eyes and yawned and stretched, and started walking. He stopped. 

"Where the heck am I going?" he asked no one. 

*** 

"Then the morning comes," played on the radio (hey Smash Mouth - credit here... ~Mewtwo) 

Ash was wide awake, Misty was too, and Brock was in la-la land with Andrea, sitting on the beach. 

The music was interrupted by some other music—drums and a bass guitar. 

"I wanna be a bassist!" Ash suddenly yelled, leaping up and running towards the noise. 

Maybe I want a boyfriend, but how the heck could it be HIM? Misty thought for a second, and quickly dismissed the thought. Hehe... it could easily be him... he looks right so... yeah, it could be him, easily. 

It turned out Reno and his "band" were playing, and Ash's new love for bass stuck him in there to hear their music. (forgive me - I love writing songs) 

But the music was interrupted by Kinsi walking to Ash and talking to him. "So, Ash. You never did tell me how this went. Where's my friend Ash P.? How'd it go? I see you're back now." 

Ash sighed. "Well, I was kinda hoping you wouldn't ask... I don't know how to tell you this but.... Ash Piercon kinda..." 

"Kinda..." Kinsi said, his face falling. Ash couldn't finish. 

Tony walked in. "OK, I'll just clear this up. This 'Ash Piercon' kid got blown up and dead. There. But he died saving the world I guess." 

Kinsi's eyes opened wide, and suddenly narrowed. His usually gentle nature was angry and sad... to no surprise, but as he started stomping and threatening to kill Ash himself, everyone started worrying. 

Finally Kinsi started sobbing and calming down. "He said he'd do it! He said he'd be like Andrew! He said! He said! He promised me!!!" 

"Sounds like a certain girl we know when a guy ran off without her to save someone else only without the line 'he said he'd be like Andrew,'" Reno said with a sly smile to Shelly. The rest of the Tidal Turret gang cracked up. 

Misty, blushing, slapped them all hard. 

"Ow..." Reno mumbled, holding his face. 

Ash looked at Misty curiously. She slapped him too. "Ow!" he cried, holding a red spot on his face. 

"But now I'll never see my best friend again..." Kinsi quietly cried. 

He was interrupted by some footsteps and a slamming door, and someone fell in the room. 

"ASH!! ASH PIERCON, IS THAT YOU!?" Ash questioningly shouted, eyes wide. 

"Yeah..." said the beat up kid lying on the carpetted floor of the house. 

"Are you okay?!" 

"No." 

All of a sudden the door opened again, and someone else stepped it. They also stepped on Ash P. on their way in. 

"AAUH!" Ash P. yelled when he got stepped on, eyes and mouth wide open. 

"RICHIE!!!!!!!!!" everyone yelled, running up to him. All of them stepped on Ash P. 

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he screamed in pain. 

*** 

The celebrating had been done. Ash, Ash P., Kinsi and Richie all sat in a group drinking bottles of root beer and slugging them down quickly. Ash was on his twenty-fourth bottle. 

"So, Ash..." Ash P. happily sighed, "you just saved all Pokémon, you just saved the world (with my help). So what are you going to do now, anyway?" 

Ash smiled. "That should be easy." 

He stood up. "I'm going to DISNEYLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!"   


The end! 


End file.
